


Sophie, Open Up My Angel

by NessieSK



Category: Elisabeth - Levay/Kunze, Elisabeth - Takarazuka Revue
Genre: Child Death, Child Loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-16 00:24:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21498817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NessieSK/pseuds/NessieSK
Summary: At 21:15 in the evening, after eleven hours of struggling to survive, Sophie died in her mother’s arms.
Kudos: 8





	Sophie, Open Up My Angel

**Author's Note:**

> A little one-shot, just to announce the end of my hiatus. Based mainly on the 2014 Takarazuka production. I enjoyed it a lot but it leaves aside what I think is one of the most important scenes of Elisabeth’s life and what ended up solidifying the stormy relationship she had with Death. I can’t complain because the death of a child is something quite heavy so, double warning, don’t read unless you’re sure you can handle it.  
> Also, English is not my first language, sorry in advance for any mistake.

Life slowly escaped from Sophie as she whined in her mother’s arms. Poor creature, God would have mercy on her soul.

Elisabeth cradled her daughter tightly in her chest, looking around scared and paranoid, watching at every possible direction.

She prayed not to see him.

“Mama. ” The little girl whispered before coughing vigorously. A cry of pain emerged from her sore throat, and a trickle of blood came out of her small dry lips.

The Empress quickly cleaned the blood, trying her best to ignore what she had seen and hugged her daughter tightly, wrapping her in the blankets.

If she didn’t see the blood, _he_ didn’t either.

“Everything will be fine, Sophie.” She promised in a trembling voice, her eyes incredibly wide open in deep terror. Those eyes that had seen death at the eyes and laughed. But no more, no more.

A life of repressed emotions surfaced, it was no longer possible to retain them. She felt she was breaking, like a rag doll being ripped off by dogs

Elisabeth sang to her sweet, dear child, her voice choked, caressing the pale features of her daughter. Her firstborn she barely saw, a devastating thought.

The Empress’s lips curved in a smile when Sophie smiled and opened her eyes with difficulty, there was awareness that a few seconds ago was not there.

Sophie would be fine, and Elisabeth wouldn’t have to see him ever again

But God constantly ignored her prayers, and he wasn’t going to start obeying them now.

Cold air that froze her bones entered through the window, the curtains trembled, papers and books flew out bookshelves. Chaotic feelings of pain and fear fought in her chest

‘’NO, GET AWAY FROM HER, SHE IS MINE, GO AWAY’’ Elisabeth shouted so loudly she felt the taste of blood in her throat

Death appeared, the wind as always seemed to play music for him, the piano accompanied the melody and a chorus of cursed angels reached her ears, torturing her, challenging her.

Death, as full of grace as always, seemed to be dancing the most exquisite of ballet as he raised a hand and then put it on her daughter’s little shoulder. She is mine, it was what his glaze said, mocking her

“Don’t touch her.” Elisabeth whine pathetically, boogers and tears running down her face.

She hit his arm with all her strength, she tried to get Sophie away from him, she screamed and cried, but that arm didn’t move.

The music became louder, the chorus increased its volume, so loud that Elisabeth had to cover her ears.

And by the time she could react, Sophie was no longer in her arms. Elisabeth tried to stand up to get her daughter back, but her legs went off, and she fell to the floor, she whined humiliated.

Death held Sophie as if her daughter were the greatest treasure in the world, his impassive face but his body, his hands, held her with all the love in the world. It was a disgustingly sweet vision for Elisabeth, like the smell of a corpse, and for a moment the smell of dead flowers filled her nose

The empress’s throat closed, and her throat contracted in nausea. It was like seeing a morbid version of Mary and baby Jesus. Death held Sophie with the security with which Elisabeth never could when holding her own children. Because unlike Elisabeth, Sophie was his, and it would be for the rest of eternity

“ NO, NOT MY CHILD ” The empress shouted, the taste of blood burning her throat

Sophie trembled and snuggled close to death, both shades of blonde intermingled when their heads came together. The young mother’s heart sank.

“ Mama…” Sophie whispered in a sob full of pain and weakness.

And the music stopped, the chorus left, the wind stopped and the world stopped.

Elisabeth forgot how to breathe and move was a skill she didn’t possess, her breathing was so human that it ruined the ethereal scene.

Death became a statue sculpted in marble, which would never move again.

But his eyes changed. Elisabeth saw a new expression born in those blue eyes. Blue? They changed every time she saw him, his expression as vain as ever.

The kiss he left on Sophie’s forehead will chase Elisabeth in each of her nightmares for the rest of her life, and for years and years, that was the image that was etched with fire in her eyelids every time she closed the eyes.

Elisabeth began to feel her conscience vanish, but she fought with it.

_‘’Sophie, open up my angel, you are free now’’_ He asked stroking the little archduchess short blond hair soaked with sweat. There was a contrasting and strange warmth in his voice. Death had a soft spot on her daughter, who would have thought

He was going to forgive her life, and Elizabeth prayed with all her heart, and offered her soul to God as an exchange.

Death kissing her daughter’s lips broke every dream and every hope in her and the dry scream that the empress released let it know very well.

Not knowing how, but Sophie’s body was in her arms again, and the servants came running, her mother-in-law shouting empty words.

The world kept spinning, and the chorus came back and the morbid music left her deaf for a moment. Was it a real chorus or were her screams? Was it a void in her soul or just blood in her throat?

And Sophie, so warm and rosy, but so dead and so gone.


End file.
